This 2005 session features the 15-year-old native Sicilian saxophonist making his American recording debut accompanied by a crack New York rhythm section. Although it's common to hear rueful expressions about what a Charlie Parker or Clifford Brown might have accomplished had they lived longer, a player as precocious as Francesco Cafiso reminds us of the challenges facing an artist who appears to "be there" already yet has a lifetime with practically an obligation to top himself. In June 2007, when he was 17, the gifted altoist made history of sorts when he entered Birdland, the domain named after the music's most acclaimed improviser, to play the "Bird role" in a re-creation of the predecessor-father figure's most popular recording, "Charlie Parker with Strings". From the evidence on "New York Lullaby" the young player is perhaps one of the few musicians up to such a formidable, even unenviable assignment.

Francesco Cafiso surprised the jazz world with his blazing chops in his early teens during a stunning duo concert with veteran pianist Franco D'Andrea. Several years afterward, he is working on developing a distinctive style of his own, which is a challenge for any young musician. These 2006 sessions mix well-known jazz compositions of the 1940s and 1950s with timeless standards, with the alto saxophonist backed by a solid rhythm section consisting of pianist Andrea Pozza, bassist Aldo Zunino, and drummer Nicola Angelucci.

As the head of a splendid quartet of Sicilian musicians, Francesco Cafiso presents a work that winds around eight beautiful standards. Cafiso embodies a strong link with the tradition and glorious past of his instrument. In his phrasing there are numerous references to the sacred monsters of jazz history from Charlie Parker to John Coltrane, from Eric Dolphy to Jackie McLean and, at the same time, has the tendency to go beyond the historical-stylistic limits showing great personality and extraordinary ideas.

The renowned guitarist Joe Beck together with premier jazz flutist Ali Ryerson have teamed to create a remarkably accessible new sound by pairing alto flute & a unique new guitar approach with compelling arrangements that emphasize beauty & melody. Percussionist Steve Davis joins Beck & Ryerson on half of the pop, jazz, & folk standards. Alto is the 1st commercial recording captured with Sony & Philip's Direct Stream Digital (DSD) technology!

Joe Beck and Ali Ryerson have been working as a team for more than four years, playing concerts and other gigs under the name Duo. This is their second album, and, with the name Django, one would assume it is in honor of guitarist Django Reinhardt. Instead, the set is dedicated to the members of the Modern Jazz Quartet, who pioneered chamber jazz, the style that dominates this session with flautist Ryerson.

This was the first trio album that Sonny Rollins recorded in the late 50s, and it remains among the most important documents of his career. Astounding melodic continuity paired with stream-of-consciousness invention, passion, and maturity on the ballads "Solitude" and "There Is No Greater Love," a brilliantly quirky title track, inspired support from Ray Brown and Shelly Manne, and a supreme wit that carried over to perhaps the greatest cover photo of all time combine to make Way Out West one of the most inspired and best loved albums in jazz history.

Mel Tormé had recorded relatively few rewarding albums in the decade before this set, originally put out by Gryphon before being reissued on CD by DCC Jazz. However, his voice had improved with time, his range had widened, and he had become an even stronger jazz singer than before. Since Tormé is joined here by the largely anonymous Chris Gunning Orchestra, with guest altoist Phil Woods, on a set of generally "contemporary" pop songs.

Singer Mel Tormé and pianist George Shearing make a perfect team, bringing out the best in each other. With the assistance of bassist John Leitham and drummer Donny Osborne, the swinging, witty duo performs a variety of standards, including Noël Coward's "Someday I'll Find You", "The Way You Look Tonight", and "Anyone Can Whistle", and a couple of medleys highlighted by a humorous six-song "New York, New York Medley". All of the Tormé/Shearing collaborations are quite enjoyable and highly recommended as some of their best work of the 1980s.

Sir Neville Marriner and the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields present these highly acclaimed world premiere recordings of orchestral works by Gordon Getty. Although most of Getty’s output is vocal music, he has also written for orchestra, chamber ensembles and solo piano and this programme showcases six orchestral pieces, including the overture from his first opera, "Plump Jack".

A masterpiece of moviemaking that won eight Academy Awards, Amadeus is one of the few films about music that presents it with absolute fidelity to its maker's intentions. When producer Saul Zaentz, director Milos Forman, and writer Peter Shaffer asked Sir Neville Marriner to conduct for the 1984 film, he told them yes, "Under one condition, that not one note of Mozart would be changed".

It has been said that instrumentalist Bruce Katz has one foot in jazz and the other foot in the blues, but those aren't the only styles that interest the organist/pianist; rock, soul, and gospel are also part of what he does.

Italian jazz pianist Giovanni Guidi was born in Foligno in 1985. While attending the Siena summer seminars, he was noticed by Enrico Rava, who placed him in the Rava Under 21 group, which later became Rava New Generation. With this latter group he recorded three CDs for l'Espresso in 2006, 2010 and 2016. His first album as a leader is Tomorrow Never Knows, recorded by the Japanese label Venus, receiving five stars in a review by the Swing Journal magazine.

The name of the oboist and conductor Alexey Utkin is now well known both in Russia and abroad. His great natural talent was developed by the brilliant musical education he has received in the Moscow Conservatory. In 2000 Utkin set up and headed The Ensemble of Soloists “Hermitage”. On delectable SACD from Caro Mitis Alexi Utkin playing music of Haydn, one of his favorite composers. The Oboe Concerto actually wasn’t written by Haydn although attributed to him, the oboe plays a relatively insignificant part as one of four soloists in the well-known Sinfonia concertante, and the oboe d’amore here replaces the cello in the Divertimento. Exquisite performances, beautifully recorded.

Here's to Life is a 1992 studio album by Shirley Horn, arranged by Johnny Mandel (also the composer of three of the songs on the album), who received a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocal(s) on this album. The title track "Here's to Life" became Horn's signature song. The music was written by Artie Butler and the poignant lyrics were written by Phyllis Molinary. The lyric is known, world-wide, as one of her finest works and the song is considered a "modern day jazz standard." "If You Love Me" is her interpretation of the passionate "Hymne à l'amour", made famous by Edith Piaf. "Summer" is the first English version of the Italian standard "Estaté". Horn ordered English lyrics after hearing Joao Gilberto's version, which spread the song's worldwide fame.

After two very successful solo discs it was time for Chinese violin star Ning Feng to move on and record two beautiful pieces for solo violin and orchestra. The great success of Max Bruch's 1st Violin Concerto cast a shadow over his other music. Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto in D is a breathtakingly virtuosic work from becoming one of the most frequently performed of all violin concertos.